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writesdave's Reviews (364)
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Fun chronicle of the rise and fall of the Brill Building, the factory that churned out hundreds of hits. You find yourself saying "Wow, they wrote *that* song?" a lot. Like you don't know who they are, but you've heard their music. Or if you do know the songwriters, you didn't know they got started earlier than when they became stars (looking at King and Sedaka, certainly). Anyway, Emerson's reporting is top-notch and the storytelling is rich. Not only do you learn who-what-where-when-and-why, but you get great insights into the songwriting and production processes, as well as the business side of things. To the latter point, you might need a shower. To the former point, you'll need to take notes.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Entertaining read, felt a little like a slog toward the end, but I blame my eroding attention span. Good for wannabe globetrotters like me who have never and will never go anywhere.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
A compilation of Zirin's columns from The Nation magazine, it feels dated now but the overarching message remains—there's more to sport than meets the eye. Zirin champions principled athletes for taking their stands and does so in an angry-yet-articulate and entertaining way. He dives deep into protests from the past and present, needles the mass media for indulging in hagiography and praises the rare athlete with a worldview.
Sometimes Zirin gets bogged down in being clever and quippy, and you can't blame a modern sportswriter, raised on ESPN SportsCenter, for going for the gag and descending occasionally into minstrelsy. But Zirin is a sports writer for the times, a voice we all need to rise above bread and circuses.
Sometimes Zirin gets bogged down in being clever and quippy, and you can't blame a modern sportswriter, raised on ESPN SportsCenter, for going for the gag and descending occasionally into minstrelsy. But Zirin is a sports writer for the times, a voice we all need to rise above bread and circuses.
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As with "Gatsby," I recognize the historical importance of this novel and the value of having youngsters read it from that perspective, but I did not have the transcendent literary experience promised with this book. I didn't laugh once (that could betray the long-ago departure of my sense of humor), and even for an 11-12-year-old the antics were ridiculous. The final third was a slog. Nowhere near as fun as "Tom Sawyer."
Twain can tell a story, though.
Twain can tell a story, though.